A half-century from captain Heather Knight saw England get their tour of New Zealand off to a winning start overnight with a 27-run victory in the opening T20 in Dunedin.
Knight made 63 from 39 balls while Maia Bouchier struck an unbeaten 43 as the tourists reached a total of 160 for four, before restricting the White Ferns to 133 for five in reply.
The five-match series is being seen as a key part of England’s build-up to the autumn’s T20 World Cup and an opportunity to blood new talent, with several senior players involved in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) not due to be involved until the Fourth T20 next week.
The recalled Tammy Beaumont won her 100th T20 cap, having been stranded on 99 for more than two years, and made 15 at the top of the order, before Sophia Dunkley and Bouchier set England’s platform.
Dunkley, who is in desperate need of runs after a quiet tour of India before Christmas, was caught behind on 32, but Bouchier and Knight shared a third-wicket stand of 91 before the skipper was stumped in the penultimate over.
Seamer Lauren Bell, who like Knight opted out of the WPL to play a full part in this series, struck with the third ball of the reply to remove Isabella Gaze for a duck, and while opening partner Suzie Bates made a fine 65, New Zealand struggled to keep up with the required rate through the middle overs.
Sarah Glenn bowled four tight overs for figures of one for 17, while fellow spinners Charlie Dean and Knight were also economical, and Bell finished with two wickets.
"Everyone is really happy, the first game of the series it's good to get a win on the board,” Bell said.
"We were really happy with our bowling attack. As a team we really tried to hustle through that middle period, we have obviously got two unbelievable spinners and we try and put pressure on them and it worked for us today."
